Ivo Kahánek

piano

I have been involved with the MenART Scholarship Academy since its inception, and with each new year I am delighted to observe not only the enormous pool of talented young pianists in Czech music schools, but also their development. There are certainly many differences in skills and experience between a talented student and a professional artist, but in one respect they are – or should be – the same: both should feel an intense desire to express themselves through music. And since desire is always better experienced (at least) in pairs, I am very happy about the mentoring project, which uniquely connects the worlds of elementary arts schools and professional art – worlds that cannot successfully exist in the long term without each other. During my studies, I met many people who selflessly and cheerfully helped me on my path to professionalism. It is a great honor and joy for me that I can now pass on their gift to these young people for the seventh time as part of the MenART Scholarship Academy, and I also have the opportunity to meet fellow teachers who play a crucial role in their journey.

Ivo Kahánek is considered by many to be the best contemporary Czech pianist. He is one of the artists who naturally combines absolutely excellent technical mastery of the game with an impressive interpretation of extraordinary emotional power and depth. Kahánek performs with mature technical insight almost everything from Baroque to Modern with a focus on Romantic music and is considered a specialist in the interpretation of Czech music in the world. Thanks to his gift of immediately establishing an emotional connection with the audience, however, he has earned the position of an interpreter from whom the audience likes to hear anything, because it is always worth it.

The absolute winner of the Prague Spring Competition in 2004 confirmed his worldliness 3 years later with his debut at the BBC Proms festival in London's Royal Albert Hall, where he performed under the baton of Jiří Bělohlávek and accompanied by the BBC Symphony Orchestra. The live concert is also available as a digital download from Deutsche Grammophon. In 2014, Sir Simon Rattle invited him to perform twice with the Berlin Philharmonic, becoming only the second Czech pianist to perform with this ensemble after Rudolf Firkušný. In addition to his solo career, he also devotes himself to chamber music (especially with the Dvořák Trio) and to dramaturgical and pedagogical activities – not only at established institutions such as the HAMU or the Prague Conservatory, but also in the field of mentoring; among his protégés is the young talent Martin Chudada.

Ivo Kahánek has been playing the piano since the age of four. He is a graduate of the Primary School in Frýdek-Místek, the Janáček Conservatory in Ostrava with Mgr. Marta Toaderová, and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague in the class of Prof. Ivan Klánský. He has also completed an internship at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and master classes under Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, Christian Zacharias, Alicia de Laroch, Imogen Cooper, Peter Frankl and many others. He considers Svjatoslav Richter and Wilhelm Kempff, renowned for their ability to express hidden musical nuances, to be his role models – he also guides his students to the same approach: “I don’t want them to play clearer or more legato. I rather encourage them to imagine that the piece is being sung by a beautiful soprano with long hair, or to think of a landscape with mountains and forests…”

Kahánek is also an essential face of Supraphon, promoting domestic work (last year the Ministry of Foreign Affairs engaged him in a spot promoting the Czech Republic in the world), is a patron of the Harmonie Foundation and a member of the PETROF Art Family association, for which he prepares a special concert series and, in addition to giving concerts, selects pianos for musical institutions, including the Czech Philharmonic.

Applications are accepted until 31. 3. 2025.

Requirements

7-16 years old,
6 scholarship holders and their teachers,
recording: 1 baroque or classical piece + 1 romantic or modern piece
Examples must be uploaded (as a public or private link) to YouTube – see Application Terms.